Accessibility Links

Alastair Cook’s hesitation under threat of being washed away

Patrick Kidd

May 27 2013, 8:30pm, The Times

Cook completed his 25th Test century in England's second inningsGraham Morris

There are “swivel-eyed loons” putting out the bunting for this weekend’s Coronation Sunday who are less conservative than Alastair Cook. The England captain had no intention of giving New Zealand the slightest sniff of victory when choosing at what point to declare his side’s second innings.

Rain may fall and the wind may blow, but nothing will make Captain Cook change course.

His hesitation could backfire if the heavy rain that forecasters were predicting disrupts much of today. Never mind that the target of 468 he eventually set the world’s eighth-best Test side is a full 50 more than any team have ever made to win a Test, still Cook had his doubts.